IP Library Granted Patent US 7,460,307
Granted Patent B2
US 7,460,307 · App. 10/594,971 · Granted Dec 2, 2008

Projector lens system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,460,307
App. No.
10/594,971
Granted
Dec 2, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

To provide a compact and low-cost projector lens capable of appropriately performing temperature correction and obtaining excellent image quality although using a plurality of plastic lens elements, a first lens unit having negative refractive power and a second lens unit having positive refractive power are provided from the screen side, the first lens unit includes a negative meniscus lens element 1 b being a plastic lens element, being convex to the screen side and having an aspherical surface, the second lens unit includes: a negative lens element 2 b being a plastic lens element and having an aspherical surface; and at least two positive lens elements having anomalous dispersibility and a temperature coefficient of a negative refractive index, and an image plane fluctuation by a temperature change due to a temperature coefficient of a negative refractive index of the plastic lens elements 1 b and 2 b of the first and second lens units is corrected by the temperature coefficient of the predetermined negative refractive index of the positive lens elements.

Claims (23)

1. A projector lens system comprising, from a screen side to a projector lens side, a first lens unit having negative refractive power and a second lens unit having positive refractive power,

wherein said first lens unit includes a negative meniscus lens element being made of plastic, being convex to the screen side and having an aspherical surface,

said second lens unit includes: an aperture stop; and a negative lens element being made of plastic and having an aspherical surface, and

the following conditions are satisfied:

−5< f 1 p/f< −3

−25< f 2 p/f< −15

where f is an overall focal length of the lens system, f 1 p is a focal length of the plastic lens element in the first lens unit, and f2p is a focal length of the plastic lens element in the second lens unit.

2. A projector lens system according to claim 1 , wherein a positive lens element used in the second lens unit comprises at least two or more glass elements satisfying the following condition:

0.03< P g,F −(0.6482−0.0018 vd )

where P g,F =(ng−nF)/(nF−nC), vd=(nd−1)/(nF−nC), ng is a refractive index to a g-line (wavelength 435.84 nm), nF is a refractive index to an F-line (wavelength 486.13 nm), nC is a refractive index to a C-line (wavelength 656.28 nm), and nd is a refractive index to a d-line (wavelength 587.56 nm).

3. A projector lens system according to claim 1 ,

wherein a positive lens element used in said second lens unit comprises at least two or more glass elements satisfying the following condition:

Δn/ΔT<− 5×10 −6

where Δn/ΔT is a temperature coefficient of a refractive index.

4. A projector lens system according to claim 1 , wherein said first lens unit includes two negative meniscus lens elements convex to the screen side.

5. A projector lens system according to claim 4 , wherein the plastic lens element used in said first lens unit is arranged on a side of the aperture stop.

6. A projector lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

2.5< f 2 ep/f< 5.0

where f 2 ep is a focal length of a positive lens element included in the second lens unit and f is the overall focal length of the lens system.

7. A projector lens system according to claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

−5.0 < f 2 gn/f< −2.0

wherein f 2 gn is a focal length of a negative lens element made of glass and included in the second lens unit and f is the overall focal length of the lens system.

8. A rear-projection-type projector having the projector lens system according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0671 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2007
From: MURAMATSU, AKIHIRO; KITAOKA, YASUHISA
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 019724/0594 →